Officially Tied
by TheGoofyCat
Summary: (Sequel to Unofficial Hatred) "Take a long hard look at yourself, Rebecca," he spat and his fingers gripped her chin tightly as he shoved her in front of the store window. "'Cause that ain't the girl I used to know." She closed her eyes tight, trying to make it all disappear, but all she could feel was his eyes on the back of her head and they burned with anger.
1. If You Close Your Eyes

**Disclaimer: **I own only the names not recognized, I do not own the song lyrics in the summary.

**Authors Note: **Well here you are, the sequel, the third in the series and the official end! Ahh I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about writing the end chapter *cries* What will happen? After four stories will Ace finally be able to admit his feelings? Anyway big thank you to those who faved/followed and reviewed the past stories and to anyone who reads them and enjoys them.

:D

Enjoy!

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**_Officially Tied  
TheGoofyCat_**

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_This chapter was inspired by Bastille's Pompeii (have a listen)_

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The open air hit her as she stepped out of her car, it had been a long journey and her head was beating an ache she was too familiar with, her heart pounded fast and she felt her knees quiver. Her knee high boots touched the ground, the ground that she had walked on throughout her whole childhood. She took a small breath and looked around taking in the all too familiar surroundings, nothing had changed at all. With fear and a strange excitement she smiled. She was back! Rebecca Chambers was back!

She quickly walked round to the other side of her Ford Mustang and opened the passenger side door. "We're here! Let's go! Don't forget to stretch your legs, it's been a long ride." She sternly told the seven year old child who looked up at her. She had been a mother for seven years now going on eight. It had been a hard time, forced to grow up at an age when she didn't feel like she could, but she managed, she had to she was now a mom whether she had wanted to become one or not.

She gave her son a smile, the kind of smile only a mother could give, a smile that was filled with slight amusement but mainly bossiness, as she watched him jump out of the car and childishly start to mess around with his legs, as if he were doing some kind of dance. "Stop messing around!" She commanded as she placed her hand on his shoulders, he listened and stopped before she changed the subject. "You hungry? You want something to eat?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, please." She gave him yet another stern look and he replied by rolling his eyes. "Now what would you like?"

"Candy!" He grinned from ear to ear.

"Candy? It's breakfast time!" She yawned, reminding herself of the early start they had.

"I can eat candy for breakfast!" He could eat candy all day.

"You're pushing your luck, kid!" She looked down at him before seeing his doe-eyes staring back at her. "Alright! You get one candy bar and you'll eat it after you eat a piece of fruit!" He groaned at the mention of fruit. "That's my final offer. What do you say?"

"Okay!" He agreed.

"C'mon," She grabbed his hand, "There's a convenience store round this corner," It was funny how quickly she remembered it all. They both walked at a slow pace and she watched her son take in his new surroundings. Sure enough after eight years the store was still up and running.

A bell went as the door opened and they both hurried in. She watched with a shake of her head as he shot off to the candy bar selection and she made her way to the fresh fruit, she picked up two apples and an orange, her stomach growling as she couldn't remember the last time she had ate. After picking up a carton of milk and placing it in a basket she then made her way to the newspapers, she watched her son, who still hadn't decided on a candy bar, and rolled her eyes at him yet again. Placing the basket on the floor she picked up a magazine and started to flick through the thin pages.

The bell rang again as the front door opened again. A chill ran through her as she felt a presence next to her, she brought the magazine down from her face and looked though the corner of her right eye, she was met with an all too familiar head of jet black hair.

And before she could stop herself she blurted out, "Billy?" And that's when she was met with Billy Tessio's brown eyes.

His forehead formed a thrown as he tried to figure out who this woman was and why he had recognized her voice? The penny soon dropped and then it dawned on him. "Why if it isn't Rebecca Chambers? Well I'll be dammed!" He swore his eyes widened with shock as he looked her up and down. "You haven't changed one bit! Still got the curls and skinny arms, I see! Nice mini-skirt!" He grinned as he admired her legs.

"Still as annoying as ever, I see!" She grinned back as she placed the magazine back to where it belonged and welcomed him with a hug. "How you doing, Billy-boy?" She asked as she too took in his features, his hair was shorter and he had gained a few pounds, but then again so had she.

"Aww I'm good," He replied with a chuckle as they ended their embrace. "You know Tess and Cassie are going to freak out when they find out you're here, what's it been? Six years?"

"Eight," She replied, "You never were good at math class were you, Tessio." She gave him a wink as she teased him.

"Neither were you." He teased back.

The two old friends stared at each-other in silence for a moment before they were interrupted. "Rebecca, can I have this?" Her son returned to her with a candy bar in his hand, she placed her hand out and he gave it to her she looked down at the Hershey bar and nodded her head.

"Who's this?" Billy asked his eyebrows raised.

"Who are you?" Her son asked back and he looked at Billy disapprovingly. "Rebecca, who is this man?" Billy took a step back from the kid and studied him. The child definitely had Rebecca's furrowed brow, it was uncanny.

"He's an old friend! And what did I tell you about calling me my name in front of people?" She crossed her arms and gave her son yet another stern look.

"Sorry, _Mom!_" The boy sighed as he looked at the ground.

"Mom?" Billy questioned though he really should have known. The kid was just like her.

"Billy," She laughed. "This is my son." She told him introducing him to the little boy that had changed her whole life and who had been the reason that she had skipped town in the first place. She shook her head at Billy's reaction his mouth to the ground as he stared at the boy and he took one last look at the boy's features then looked up at Rebecca.

"Can't picture me as a mother can you?" She asked, she was slightly amused and yet slightly insulted.

"Well...No." He replied and then turned to the boy and crouched down. "What's your name, little guy?"

"Adam." The boy answered, his arms stayed crossed as he stared up at the stranger in front of him.

"And how old are you, Adam?" Billy asked with a smile but was greeted with a frown. Billy chuckled and looked up at Rebecca, "You know he really is your child! Has the frown and everything." He stated to her and she crossed her arms in response.

"Seven. I'll be eight in July." Adam replied with a shrug. Bored of Billy he then took a toy car from out of his jacket and started to play with it making it fly in the air completely unaware that his mother's heart had skipped a beat.

Rebecca instinctively placed a finger in her mouth and started to bite at a nail, she wondered how long it would take Billy to catch on and find out who was Adam's father.

"Wow! Charlie sure did move fast," Billy commented, completely oblivious to the change in Rebecca's posture, "Where is the old boy now anyway?" He didn't give Rebecca the chance to reply before he spoke again, "I mean, I heard about his Aunt and I figured he would be down for her funeral but he never showed," Rebecca's fingers came out of her mouth as she took in what Billy had told her, Charlie's Aunt had died? She had no idea, but then again why would she?

Snapping out of her daze she spoke up, "I haven't seen Charlie in three years, Billy." She told him with a hint of remorse in her voice, her time away from Castle Rock had been far from easy.

"What?" Billy spat giving her a disapproving glare, "So what? You just took his kid away from him?"

And before she could stop herself in typical Chambers' fashion she spat back, "What makes you think Charlie is the father? It might have started off that way but it was clear from the beginning that it wouldn't work," She placed her hands in her face and breathed. It was true that it had been the plan from the very moment that she had told Charlie she was pregnant that he would bring up the child as his own and they would be a family but it never worked out that way.

Billy stepped back about to say something but that's when it clicked, it was as if a light had turned on in his head and that's when he knew who Adam's father was, it wasn't Charlie, it wasn't a stranger, it was Ace! He looked down at the child, studying him for a moment, and he could have kicked himself for not realizing it sooner he could see the resemblance more so now then the resemblance between the boy and Rebecca, apart from his light brown hair the kid was the spitting image of his father.

Billy looked up at Rebecca his jaw to the floor and Rebecca responded by holding her head up high, she didn't have to explain herself, not to Billy Tessio of all people.

What could she tell him? She couldn't tell him that on the day of the drag-race when she and Tess had driven to the clinic in Fairview, that she had been sat in the waiting room and her mind had wandered to the last time that she had had her period, or the last period she remembered, she had been late for God knows how long, so to be sure she had secretly asked for a blood test. She didn't tell a single soul, not even Tess, who had been with her. The weeks leading up to the letter that had confirmed it she had been in denial and figured it was just her hormones playing up and that she had just been too stressed out, but deep down she knew, she could feel it in her blood and the letter was just the kick she needed and when she had received it in the mail, her whole life was put into focus, she couldn't stay and raise a baby with Ace, what would he have done? It wasn't fair on her unborn child. Hell, it wasn't even fair on Ace, kids were not part of his plan, and she figured he wouldn't have cared or stepped up and taken any sort of responsibility. Her family would have disowned her and she would have had no one and that's why she ran off with Charlie Hogan, he had offered her two things Ace could never have given her - love and stability. She owed it to Adam to give him that, it wasn't his fault he had been brought into this world, it was Rebecca's and Ace's for being so careless.

"Fuck!" Billy whispered his left eye twitching. "Ace Merrill, Jnr."

"Who's Ace?" Adam finally turned his attention away from the car and looked up at Rebecca he then noticed Billy staring and that was when he decided he didn't like this stranger.

"No one!" She told him and grabbed him by the arm. "Let's get going." She walked to the counter and gave the contents of her basket to the young man who started to ring it through the register and bag it. She tucked a loose curl behind her ear and felt Billy's presence behind her feeling her ears burn she gave the young man the correct amount of money and took the bag. "Adam take this to the car," She placed the paper bag in his arms, "Do you remember where the car is?"

"Yeah," He shrugged.

"Alright! Go on and I'll be out in a minute," She told him while staring at Billy and then watched her son walk out of the store, "And stay by the car!" She shouted out to him and then turned her attention back to Billy.

"What are you going to do, Rebecca? What if he finds out? You do know he's still around?" Billy told her. "And he will find out you're back!"

"I'll be gone before he finds me," She assured him, but she wasn't so sure she believed herself let alone assuring him.

"Then what are you doing back here? If you're not back here for Ace then what are you doing here?"

"Trust me, Billy! You don't want to know." She sighed slightly before asking him the question that had been playing on her mind for the last eight years. "What did he do when I left?"

"What do you want me to say, Rebecca? That he mourned you? And that he's been pining for you after all these years? That there hasn't been any girls?" He sighed with a shrug of a shoulder, "Trust me Rebecca there has been many girls."

"Thanks." She replied sarcastically the old jealousy that she used to have boiling inside of her set alight again, though what Billy said was true why would he stick around and wait for her? When she was the one that upped and left.

"Look a lot of things have changed." He grabbed her arm. "Things aren't like they used to be."

"I know," She replied not doubting him for a second. "It's funny though, I keep half expecting to see the old ford drive past." She smirked slightly the memories flooding to her as quick as they were able to be forgotten.

"Now that's impossible," He replied and she gave him a questionable glance, "Someone torched it just after you left." He told her as he paid for the newspaper and started to make his way out of the store.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, "Who?" She asked following him outside, her heart racing as she looked round the town and she thought to herself if he was still here he could walk right round this corner at any moment.

"I dunno," Billy shrugged. "He doesn't have many friends." Thinking of the time him and Fuzzy and Vince had found the car torched and burned to the ground at the creek. "You know me and Fuzzy actually thought it might have been you."

Rebecca laughed at the thought of her doing something that reckless.

"I gotta get to work," Billy told her as he held on to his newspaper. "My boss will cut off my balls if I'm late again, then my wife will cook 'em," Rebecca smiled at him it was hard to picture Billy Tessio with a wife let alone a job, "The joys of working for your father-in-law. See ya!"He waved his newspaper in the air as if to say goodbye.

"I'll see you around, Billy." She smiled as she watched him disappear round the corner.

She took a cigarette from her purse and lit it, inhaling deeply before making her way back to her Mustang and son, who was sitting impatiently on the ground still playing with his toy car., she ushered for him to get up, "Why are we here, Rebecca? And what is this place?" He frowned as he looked around as he opened the car door and hopped back in. "I miss home."

"I know you do, but we can never go back." She told him as she finished her cigarette and flicked it on the floor stubbing it out with her boot and then got into the drivers seat . "This is the place I grew up! It's my hometown." She told him as she put her keys into the ignition and started it up.

Castle Rock hadn't seen the last of Rebecca Chambers, but she just hoped all hell wouldn't break loose any time soon.


	2. Does It Almost Feel Like

A warm glow of light flickered from a bedside lamp as Ace Merrill sat himself on the front of the bed, he felt himself sink into the mattress as he put his arms through the holes of a white vest top and pulled it down his body, he straightened it before picking up his shirt from the floor and started to button it up leaving the first three buttons untouched, the same shirt that had been quickly removed from his body just hours before, he ran his left hand through his hair.

"Would you like me to fix you up some breakfast?" A soft voice asked him from underneath the covers.

He chuckled slightly as he replied, "Think you know by now I don't stay for breakfast."

She laughed as she pulled herself out of the bed and pulled a nightgown over her naked body. "True!" She muttered. "But it doesn't hurt asking."

"Same time next week?" He questioned as he tied the lace of his left boot and then went on to tie his right.

"Of course. But you know, John, I think it's time you got yourself a proper girlfriend." He laughed at the words that came out of her mouth. "If I were ten years younger..." She sighed as she came over to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulders.

"But you're not!" He replied, a cocky grin on his face. "Besides I don't do girlfriends."

She responded by slapping him softly on his right arm, "You're rude and so tense!"

"Yeah, well I don't like it when broads hang around me after sex, I'm a _come _and go kind of guy." He smirked as he got up from the bed and began to button up his jeans..

Ingrid Samuels chuckled slightly as she crawled over to the bedside table and grabbed his wallet and car keys. As a widowed woman she knew all to well the feeling of loneliness, her husband had been a soldier and had lost his life in battle years ago, there hadn't been a day gone by when she didn't miss him, but she was well known in this town for satisfying a man's need, and she was quite found of John Merrill, usually the men she had would be the ones to become attached but not John, he was just as distant as she was, she was always quite curious as to what or who had made him like this.

"You know, John. I'm no stranger to heartbreak and I think I'm pretty good at spotting someone like me a mile off! I'm curious as to what she did to you to make you like this." She told him as she flicked through his wallet.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," He scoffed as he buckled up his belt the metal clanging together before being joined.

She chuckled as she shook her head. "Oh, you do! What did she do to you then? Or what did you do to her?" She asked as she pulled out a photo that had been shoved in the back of his wallet for years, it was worn but you could still make out the face. "She's pretty, a little chubby round the face and her nose could be a little straighter but pretty enough."

Ace snatched the picture out of her hands and shoved it in his back pocket, he then grabbed his keys from her bed and his wallet from her hands. "That's enough talking. I'll see ya around." He grinned as he walked out of he all too familiar bedroom and stepped out of the front door, the screen door swung open hard and fast.

He threw his jacket into the back-seat of his convertible and opened the front door and stepped inside, not before pulling the old picture from out of his back pocket, he sat down as he studied it. It was a picture of Rebecca from her senior year, he had ripped it out of Tess Desjardins high school year book a good few years ago.

He had almost forgotten her face, but this picture reminded him, to most people if they had come across the picture in his wallet they would have thought it meant he still carried those feelings around with him, that he couldn't forget her. But not Ace, that picture was to remind him of what women were like, they were stone cold bitches who would up and leave whenever they felt like it, he didn't feel any kind of loving feeling when he looked at her face in fact it was the opposite he felt anger and rage, he still couldn't control the rage that built up inside him whenever he looked at the photo and stared at her eyes.

He spat out of the window in disgust as he put the picture back in his wallet. Rebecca Chambers wasn't worth the bother and he hoped he never set eyes on her again. He started the car and drove off, tires screeching and exhaust fumes traveled through the air as he made his way to the bar.

He spent most of his day at the bar, drinking and talking small talk to a couple of his buddies. Just like everyday for the past year if anyone had asked what day it was he wouldn't have been able to tell them. The clock on the wall caught his attention and he noticed the time and he realized it was time to leave, he had somewhere to be.

He stepped out into the cool air and zipped up his jacket and then checked himself out from his reflection from the window, his hair was back to it's natural sandy blonde and was about an inch shorter then what he had it in his teens and early twenties, though he still had it styled to perfection.

Tonight he decided he was going to walk for a change, he walked past the all too familiar houses and then up the path his eyes studied the mailbox 'Desjardins' it read and he scoffed, never would he have thought Vince would be the kind of guy to live in a two bedroom house, with a porch and fence, with his name scribbled in fancy paint.

He stepped up the Desjardins porch steps and walked through the front door not bothering to knock. Tess was inside the living room picking up the kids toys and tidying up after her seven year old twins, he threw his jacket over the banister of the stairs and walked over to her, she knew it was him by the sound of the door flying open she quickly stood straight and froze, a teddy in one hand and a doll in the other.

"Vince home?" Ace asked straight to the point.

"No, he's at work. You know he works nights, so he won't be home for at least five hours," Tess told him crossing her arms, she felt him behind her.

"Good." Ace grinned as his hands grabbed her waist and he pulled her close to him, his lips kissing the back of her neck as she dropped the toys to the floor, turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck.


	3. Silence Says We Remember

Tess Desjardins couldn't exactly remember when or how it had happened, all she knew was that it was wrong and that she was married and he happened to be one of her husband's close friend. All her life she had wished for her life to be like a fairy-tale, like the ones she had seen at the drive-in or the ones her father had read to her before she went to bed when she was a young girl. She had gotten pregnant and married young, the kind of life a lot of girls dream of but why did she feel so empty?

Ace was nowhere to be seen when she awoke from the marital bed that she never shared with her husband, like always Ace had disappeared as soon as the sun rose and like always she was left trying to fix the creases on the sheets, no matter how crease free the bed became it was never enough.

Vince was always at work, she couldn't even remember the last time they had dinner together, while she was having her breakfast he was having his dinner. As soon as the bedroom was spotless, concealing the affair she was currently trapped in, she woke up the twins and then cooked their breakfast, pancakes and bacon, the whole works, then she spent the rest of the morning making sure the house was in near perfect condition.

She didn't know why she was even cleaning up every toy that was sprawled across the living room, it wasn't like Vince would return home, most of the time he slept at work until he had to be working again. Four days was the longest she had went without ever locking eyes on him, not that she didn't mind in fact she quite liked it when he wasn't around but they had to be together, he was all she knew, they had been together since she was thirteen. Childhood-fucking-sweethearts!

To anyone around her it looked like she had it all, a husband, two kids - a boy and a girl, a house in the center of town, an immaculate garden that had every kind of flower under the sun. Tess Desjardins was always the girl who had it all, but thought she had so little.

"Morning," Her old friend Cassie Bracowicz greeted cheerfully as she invited herself into the kitchen through the back door. "What's wrong? You look flustered," Cassie asked as she shooed her two daughters into the direction of the two blonde headed children that sat in front of the television engrossed by the cartoon that was playing. "The twins giving you grief again?"

"The stove!" Tess lied, knowing full well what or who had gotten her all hot and bothered. "Spent all morning trying to get grease off the stove." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she reached the top cupboard and brought out a bottle of wine, the bottle was soon joined by two glasses.

"This time of morning? What's Vince done this time?" Cassie raised her eyes.

"Nothing." Tess told her and herself as she ignored Cassie's statement of just taking a sip, she shoved one glass in her friends hands and downed the other.

"Jeez! You turning alcoholic?"Cassie scoffed as she brought the glass to her nose and took a sniff, red wine was too strong for her in the morning. "Anyway. Speaking of alcoholics, guess who came to dinner last night?" Cassie watched as Tess shrugged unknowingly. "Billy and his wife." She watched as Tess smiled slightly, not caring in the slightest at who had come to dinner.

"And?"

"You'll never believe what Billy told me-" Cassie grinned as she was interrupted by Tess.

"That his wife has given up the bottle?" The two giggled with cattiness.

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Rebecca had soon settled herself and Adam at the small hotel on the edge of town, it had been a long drive and she wasn't in a hurry to see her family any time soon so decided it was best to stay away for at least a few more days, until she found some sort of courage to knock on the door, what would she say? She wondered if they had even cared that she had gone.

She took out a piece of paper that had an address scribbled down onto it, it was a ten minute walk and she was surprised at how well she could remember the streets and places in this town.

She grabbed her jacket and Adam's arm and the pair left the small room.

"I was watching that!" Adam sulked as he dragged his feet along the ground.

"You've seen it before." Rebecca scoffed at her son as she took out a pack of smokes and lit one up. "Stand up straight and walk proud."

"Yes, Sir." Adam smirked as he gave her a salute, she messed up his hair playfully.

**_*Flashback*_**

_"Fancy a road-trip, Chambers?" _

_"Some things never change." Rebecca laughed as she placed a hand round his shoulder and gave him a kiss on the cheek and proceeded to whisper in his ear. "Why Mr. Merrill, I do believe I kinda love you."_

_"Trust me babe, the feelings mutual." He smirked as he got into his car and watched her join him, he turned on the ignition of the car and they sped off._

_"So where we going, Merrill?" Rebecca smiled as she leaned into him._

_"I don't know about you, but I'm feelin' a game of chicken." Ace's smirk still plastered on his face as he watch from the wing mirror Vince getting in his Studebaker followed by Billy and Jack. Rebecca turned to look back and watched as the Studebaker drove away. "How about you?"_

_"Make 'em history." Rebecca gave him a wink._

_She clutched onto his arm as Ace quickly made an illegal U-turn and sped up the car and in no time he had already caught up with Vince._

_"How's it going, girls?" Ace called to Vince who had round down his window._

_"Ahh! Shit, man! Not this time!" Vince called back as he put his foot down on the accelerator. "I let you beat me last time, Ace, not this time."_

_"Sure, you let 'im beat ya! I was there, you cock-knocker!" Rebecca laughed as she reached over to the side of the car. "Gentleman, how about we up the ante?" She raised her eyes at Ace as she slowly hoisted herself up onto the car door, she sat on the edge of the door as she waited for Ace to pull in closer to the Studebaker, he soon did and she grabbed Vince's arm through the window and pulled herself up, her right foot almost slipping as it gripped onto Vince's car door._

_"Chambers, you outta your mind?" Vince asked, as he held onto her saddle shoe._

_"Never been more in it!" Rebecca laughed as she let out a yell of excitement, as the wind rushed through her hair and she threw her hands up in the air._

_"Rebecca, you're gonna get yourself killed!" Billy yelled to her. _

_"Shit, man. There's a car heading straight for ya!" Vince exclaimed as his eyes widened in fear as he watched a pick up truck heading straight for the vehicle. "We ain't in the countryside this time, Ace! Pull back."_

_"Not a hope." Ace smirked, the pick up truck just ten seconds away from a head on collision._

_"Shit!" Vince yelled as the sound of the truck's horn filled the air. "Get down from there, Rebecca!" She smirked slightly she was going nowhere._

_SIX_

_FIVE_

_FOUR_

_Rebecca's scream was heard all through the town as Vince slammed on the breaks and she felt a strong hand grab her waist and pull her down to safety as Ace's car swerved to the right, missing the pick up truck by inches. She looked up from Ace's lap and the two chuckled as they heard swear words being exchanged between Billy and Vince behind them. _

_"Fuck, we coulda been killed! Think I need a cigarette."_

_"I coulda done that with my eyes closed." Ace confidently stated to her as he passed her the cigarette that was behind his ear._

_"Oh, really?" She laughed as she pushed herself up and brought her legs in, they had been hanging out of the car._

_"Sure thing." He grabbed her passionately and pulled her in for a kiss. The kiss lasting ten seconds until he pulled away leaving her lingering for more. "Told you I could."  
_

_"Cocky son-of-a-bitch!"_

_"What do you say we take this game to my bedroom?" He smirked at her, as he took the cigarette out of her mouth and placed it in his._

_"Sure thing!" She grinned back. "But first pull over."_

_The two waited till Vince pulled up next to them._

_"You two are fucking crazy! I ought-"_

_"Hey, Vince?" Ace told him interrupting his rant._

_"Yeah?"_

_"You really let me beat ya this time, didn't ya?" He smugly grinned at his friend as Rebecca laughed._

_"Cock-knocker"_

"Rebecca? Rebecca?"

"Huh?" Rebecca asked as she was pulled out of the memory.

"I said, what are you looking at, Rebecca?"

"It's nothing." Rebecca sighed as she picked up the pace and the two walked in silence.


	4. Nothing's Changed At All

It was around noon when Billy Tessio decided he was in need of a drink or three. He had been up half the night pacing the corridor of his two bedroom house, just outside the town and three houses away from his Ma's. To Billy it seemed like he was always the one who found the drama but he was never the one to cause it, he could go on all day about the chaos he had witnessed but he never enough time or enough fingers to count it.

So having made his way into the local watering hole he ordered himself a beer and a packet of his favorite nuts, having skipped breakfast his stomach grumbled as he waited. He wasn't alone in the tavern, Castle Rock might have been a quiet town but the bars were never empty. Sure enough there were two of his pals sitting at the back - Jack Mudgett and Ace Merrill. The two were always in cahoots and it looked like they were having a deep conversation as they played a game of cards.

Ace Merrill was always the one behind Billy's sleepless nights. It was no secret, though Billy would have liked to have kept it one, that he was petrified of his buddy, knowing one slip, one silly comment and Ace wouldn't hesitate in getting answers. He contemplated for a minute or two going over, what we he say? _"Hey, Ace. uh! Guess who's back in town?"_ Jesus! Billy sure wouldn't have wanted to be on the end of that stick. _"And uh? Guess who knocked her up eight years ago? And guess who has a bastard son? You! That's who!" _Fuck that! Billy was keeping quiet!

Before he could down the beer and make a dash for it, Jack had already noticed him and yelled his name for all to hear.

"How's it hanging, Tessio!" Jack hollered with a chuckle, no doubt crossed in Billy's mind that Jackie-boy was drunk off his head. "Get over here, man. I'm starved." Billy gripped tightly to his snack. "I need your nuts!" And then a cackle of laughter erupted from the bar.

"Well what do you know, Jackie? You really are a fucking faggot!" Ace smirked as he drank from a whiskey glass. "Now bust before I make ya!" Billy noticed they were playing a game of Blackjack as he joined their table. "You in, Tessio?" Ace asked him.

"Nah! I don't feel like playing."

"Why? Too busy catching flies?" Jack laughed once again as he folded and placed a hand on Billy's shoulder, who in return abruptly pushed him off. "What's up with you?" Jack eye-balled him.

"It's nothin'" It was everything!

Ace looked at him blankly before sarcastically replying "Alrighty then." He smirked slightly before adding, "Deal!" As he shoved the pack of cards in front of Billy, ignoring the fact that Billy was not in any kind mood to play a game of Blackjack, Billy took the deck and sighed as he laid them on the wooden table. They played a couple of rounds passing time, until it were Ace's turn to deal.

"Ahh! Hit me another!" Billy sighed as he looked down at the four cards in his hands that totalled to twenty, all he needed was a one and he'd thrash Jack, deciding it was all or nothing he decided on another, Ace, who was always uncaring, threw the card on the table and Billy gently lifted it, this was the moment of truth, his eyes bulged at what he was witnessing - an ace of spades. He had won! He beamed proudly.

Jack seeing his smile scoffed, "There ain't no way you got a 'Five card Charlie'!" as he shook his head and Billy nodded, Jack looked down pitifully at the cards he had been handed, he had stayed with just the two cards - a ten and a nine - that gave him the number nineteen. Billy had flinched at the name Charlie but they hadn't noticed. If they had? Well Billy might have spilled just about everything.

"Read it and weep!" Billy grinned as he proudly showed his deck to the table.

"You cheat! Ace is an eleven not a one! I swear on my mommas grave you're a fucking cheat Tessio." Jack swore as he threw his hands in the air and slammed down his deck. "Tell him, Ace!"

"Sorry, Mudge! Looks like Billy whooped your ass." Ace chuckled as he exhaled his last draw of his cigarette.

"No fair, man. An ace is an eleven!"

"In fact it's both, you scrawny shit." The tough man stubbed his cigarette out on the ashtray sitting on the dirt ridden table.

"How? What do you know about cards?" Jack sulked leaning back in his chair. "Just 'cause your name is Ace don't mean you know everything about 'em. Besides they named part of the game after me. Black-_jack_! See?" He smugly grinned

"I know more about 'em, then you know about your mother that's for sure." Ace took another drink. "Now pay up before I make the Black a part of your name too!" A vision of Ace beating him black and blue crossed Jack's mind as he placed five bucks into Billy's willing hands. The easiest bucks Billy had made in a long time.

"Jesus! Billy, you just took all my bucks you should be smiling like a fucking cat, what's up wit' you?" Jack, who was being surprisingly observant for a change, asked.

"Nothin', man."

"It's somethin'"

"Nothing!"

"Somethin'"

"It's n-"

"If you assholes don't mind! You're putting off my fucking customers, so keep it zipped!" Ace glared at the two. He pushed his empty glass away from himself and ran a hand through his hair that was an inch or so shorter then previous years. "Now I got business to tend to."

"By buisness you mean that hot widow?" Jack grinned pervertedly. "Tell me, Ace, does she put out in her dead husbands bed? I bet his ghost watches you pork 'er." Billy shook his head at Jack's crudeness, something's never change!

"You know, Jack? There's something you know less about then your mother," Ace smirked as he got up from the booth.

"What's that?"

"A woman's anatomy." Ace raised his eyebrows devilishly as he pulled himself up and off he went to the bar, he held a conversation with the new bartender he had hired, he couldn't exactly remember his name, was it Buzz or Buck? All Ace knew was that the kid knew how to short-change and kick a few drunks to the curb, and that was just fine by him.

Billy and Jack watched him as he coolly walked out into the fresh air.

Jack sighed and scratched his forehead as he commented, "Man, who died and made him boss?"

"Irby!" Billy smirked and the two chuckled with laughter before Billy turned to him seriously, "You know, Jack? I gotta tell you something!"

"What is it?" Jack turned to him. Billy pondered for a moment as he tried to get the words to spill from his mouth. "C'mon spit it out, would ya?" Jack impatiently waited before swigging his beer and throwing a couple of nuts into his mouth.

"Rebecca's back in town!" The words slipped out of Billy's mouth with such ease it felt as good as the beer he was in the middle of drinking, finally he had spilled it out of his conscience and it was a giant relief that he could finally share his secret with someone.

Jack coughed on the contents down his throat as he heard the name he hadn't dared mention to Ace in years. "Fuck!" He croaked, before he could think he added, "We gotta tell Ace."

"You what? Are you fucking outta your mind? He'd kill us." Billy croaked back and he swore to himself that he should have told either Fuzzy or Vince.

"We haffta, man. Before he sees her himself."


	5. The House She Never Called Home (Part 1)

***17 hours after - The next day - 8am***

Something felt wrong, this didn't feel like the mattress at the hotel and this pillow certainly did not feel like the one at the hotel. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. But her head was too sore to care. A bottle and a half of wine later and not to forget a joint that was certainly not cigarette tobacco, sure had something to do with that sore head. She groaned as she stretched out her arms, her right arm hit a table and her left? Well it hit something that breathed. Preying that it was her son, but the build of the arm was too big to be her seven year old son. She groaned again as she remembered Cassie tell her that she would keep Adam for the night. But where was she? And who's bed was she in?

For a place that was unfamiliar it sure didn't feel that way. Did she go home to see her parents? But why is she naked?

"Oh, Shit!" She cried as she slowly and silently slipped out of the bed, the world was spinning. She quickly went to the window to bring in some light. But wait! How did she know where the window was? She gulped back a little bit of sick that had travelled up her throat. She wanted to vomit, not because of too much alcohol not because of too much smoke but because she now knew where she was.

"What the fuck!" She whimpered.

"Rebecca?"

***17 hours before - The day - 3pm***

Ace Merrill had been Jack Mudgett's best bud for as long as his dimwitted brain could remember. Through all the taunts, threats, and occasional black eyes, Jack still stood by him, in fact he was the only one in town to defend Ace, even if he were in the wrong. So as Jack wandered through town in search of his buddy, he didn't question if he were doing the right thing. If Rebecca was back in town, Ace needed to know. It just happened to be unfortunate luck that the coin landed on heads and Jack now had the task of telling his best friend himself, he just hoped Ace took it well, not only for his own health but for the greater good, the last thing this town needed was Ace Merrill on the warpath.

He soon found Ace's Chevrolet parked out front of the grocery store, and in perfect timing, as if he knew he were wanted, Ace walked out of the store, a cigarette behind his ear, he held a bag of groceries to his chest as he dug into his pocket of his levis and brought out a zippo lighter as he reached his car he opened the backside door and threw the papered bag of groceries inside with very little regard. He pulled the cigarette from behind his ear and lit it.

Jack picked up his pace to reach him last thing he needed was for Ace to drive off, then he would never find him. Luckily he just reached him on time as Ace had gotten into his car and slammed the door beside him. Ace noticed him and looked at him with an unwelcome frown as he reached to his right and pulled a pair of aviator sunglasses from the dashboard.

"What are you wanting?" Ace raised his eyebrows as he inhaled his cigarette and placed the sunglasses on his head

"Uh-you wouldn't be a pal and give me a ride? Just to my folks' place," Jack asked. He figured he'd do a little small talk before saying 'Your old broad is back in town.'

"Why'd I do that?" Ace chuckled.

"Ah, c'mon, man! Be a pal?" Jack pleaded with a squint as he held his hand above his eyes to stop the glare of the sun getting in his eyes.

"Alright, whatever!" Ace motioned for him to get in the car. "But I ain't driving all the way to your folks', you can walk the rest from mine." He told him as he watched Jack rush to the other side and scurry into the passenger seat.

Without looking he started the engine and pulled out almost crashing into the car that was about to drive by. Ace slammed on his breaks, as the driver of the vehicle held down his horn and applied his breaks, his car blocking Ace in. Ace looked at him through his wing-mirror.

"Who does this asshole think he is?" He rhetorically asked Jack, who in return shrugged. "I ain't got time for assholes like that," Ace sighed before winding down his window and yelling. "Move the fuck over." To the stranger in the mustang.

"Ace, man, he ain't moving," Jack chimed in.

"I can see that!" Ace seethed with a roll of his eyes, he clicked his teeth as he watched the guy get out of the car. "If this guy wants a black eye he's gonna get one." Jack shook his head as he watched as Ace angrily got out of his car.

He felt the car shake as Ace slammed the door. "Shit!" He said to himself as he rushed out to join him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ace glared at the man, one look at his clean shirt and tie and instantly he knew he wasn't from around here.

"Me? The hell you playing at? I don't know about you but I was taught about 'right of way',"

'Yeah, I'm right! And you're in my fucking way! "

"You ought-ta be glad I ain't taking your details, man. You better be careful about slamming your car into the side of others." The clean shaven stranger placed his left hand in his pocket and ran his right hand through his hair.

"You see, I don't think I did?" Ace shrugged. "I don't see a dent." He looked at the Mustang in front of him. "Might be shoddy paint work but no dent."

"You fucking crashed into the side of me!"

"And? I didn't feel anything," Ace turned to Jack, "Did you?"

"Nope! Not a thing." Jack smirked.

"You lying, piece of shit!" Jack received a point of a finger.

"It's your word against ours, buddy, and I don't see any other witnesses," Ace smiled slightly, he then turned to Jack again, "Do you?"

"Nope! Not a soul" Jack smirked as he folded his arms. "Now I'd be on my way if I were you."

"Boys, you're counting your fucking lucky stars that I got some business to do, otherwise I'd be wiping both of those grins off both of your ugly faces. Maybe next time," He pointed his finger at Ace, who stood there un-threatened. "And I never forget a face."

"Shame! Must be hard remembering yours everyday then." Ace smoothly responded. His quick-wit still as sharp as ever. Jack couldn't help but snigger.

The stranger grited his teeth in response, he clenched his fist ready to throw a few punches, but he knew better, after all it was just him against two and that was a pretty bad disadvantage, but he didn't doubt for a second that he couldn't take them both. The three men stood confidently on the road, none of them baking down, until they were interrupted.

"What are you all waiting for the number thirty-two bus? Get outta here." Mr. Gerald, the local butcher, called out to them as he waved his hand out of his meat truck.

Ace waved a not so friendly hand gesture back, before Jack pulled him to his car.

"C'mon he ain't worth the fucking grazes on our knuckles, let's get out of here." Knowing that Ace never would back down it was best to get him out of that situation before it escalated too quickly. He made sure Ace was in his car before turning to the man and flipping him the bird as he walked back to the passenger side and got in.

"Man, what the fuck?" Jack exhaled as he leaned his head back and wiped the sweat off his forehead from the sun.

"Don't ask me!" Ace sighed. "This day is just getting better and better." The sarcasm obvious in his tone.

Jack chuckled "What happened? The widow not want you to touch her, must be the anniversary of her husbands death, huh?"

"Has anyone ever told you you're sick in the head, Mudge?" Ace scoffed as he shook his head and brought the sunglasses to his face, shielding his eyes from the sun, as he started the car and this time he made sure that no cars were driving past as he pulled out.

"Yeah all the time." Jack smiled as he lit up a cigarette. His smile soon fell flat as he remembered what he had to do. "So I gotta tell you something, man."

"What is it?" Ace leaned back as he sped up and put the car up a gear. "You got caught with your dick out of your pants again?"

"That was one time, man, and how was I supposed to know that the women's auxiliary club were having a picnic right where I take my afternoon leak?" Jack groaned and soon the image of Mrs. Conner fainting flashed through his mind.

Ace chuckled at the thought as he turned up the radio and the new song Bad Moon Rising by Creedance Clearwater Revival was starting up, Ace strummed his left fingers on the steering wheel as if he were playing along.

Suddenly a football bounced into the road followed by two kids, he slammed on his breaks and missed the kids by an inch. Jack jolted in his seat.

"Jesus Fucking Christ!" Ace breathed along with a few more curses under his fathers grave. "Today's been a fucking curse." He muttered as he angrily rolled down his car window and stuck his head out of the window. "Play on the side-walk, before you get yourselves killed."

"Why do you care if they get ran down?" Jack chuckled, as he watched the boys scurry off.

"I don't!" Ace replied before sticking his head back out. "Before I kill ya, 'cause next time I won't break." He called out to them as they ran off. "Little punks, they almost wrecked the paint job I did last week."

"Threatening to kill kids, Ace, that ain't like ya?" Jack cheekily lifted his eyebrows as he received a small blow to the arm. "And I'm pretty sure that was one of the Desjardins Twins, no doubt they'll tattle on ya."

"Go fuck yourself! Now what is it that you wanted to tell me?" Ace flicked the radio off.

"It can wait, it ain't important and it'll just piss you right off." Jack gulped, he could feel his cheeks flushing.

"In that case don't tell me, 'cause I ain't in the fucking mood, this day's been a right pisser and it's not even four o'clock yet." Ace gritted his teeth as he pulled into his driveway, he applied the handbrake and turned off the engine. "I'm in need of a drink, wanna join?"

"As long as it's a double, my friend."

"Who the fuck do you think I am?"

* * *

***2pm***

"Where we going, Rebecca? I'm hungry." Adam complained as he walked next to his mother.

"You just had a sandwich," Rebecca sighed as she roughed his hair a little, "You can't possibly be hungry."

"But I am." He whined as he pushed her away, he was too old for his mom to play with his hair.

"Well maybe if you're a good boy we can share a milkshake when we get into town." She wondered if the Blue Point was still around? Or even Bobby's for that matter, she laughed slightly it had been a long time since she had thought of that place.

"Really?" Adam perked up with a smile that made him look just like his father. "But do we have to share it?"

Rebecca felt inside her pocket, a few dimes and several dollars was all she had to their name. "Yeah, but I'll let you have the cherry." She winked at him.

"Are we nearly there yet? Where are we going again?" He asked as his keds dragged on the floor.

"Adam, what have I told you about asking questions?" She grunted sternly.

"Sorry, Rebecca." He looked to the floor.

"Hey! If I give you a piggy back ride will you stop asking me questions?" She smiled at him.

"Okay." He grinned as he carelessly jumped onto her back.

"Ooof! When did you get so heavy?" She hoisted him up as he rested his head on her shoulder.

They quietly went on there way and five minutes later they were at the town, nothing had changed. "Look see that diner over there that's where I used to work and that's the bridge where we used to fish and on a hot day you would jump from the bridge and into the river. And that's where my brother Frank fell off his bike and broke his arm." Suddenly it felt like she had never left.

"Look, Rebecca, there's a place to play pool" Adam pointed but she didn't have to look she already knew the place.

"That's Irby-" She was caught off guard when she saw the sign above the door didn't read Irby's but now it read,

"Ace's" Adam answered. "Can we go in and play?"

"I-uh-I," She stuttered before regaining her composure. "I think you're too young, maybe in a couple of years."

"Aww!" He sulked. "Can we go get the milkshake now?"

Unsurprisingly the Blue Point Diner was still around, thought it had been given a good lick of paint and the jukebox was gone but replaced with a radio behind the counter and a television on the wall. They had a window seat, and as Adam slurped down the vanilla milkshake, Rebecca could only stare out of the window, from the reflection of the hardware store from across the street she could see the billiards bar. It had to be a coincidence he couldn't possibly own his own bar could he?

Her eyes never wandered they sat looking at the reflection, every time the door opened and someone stepped out her heart skipped, what if he was in there? A small part of her wanted to walk out of the diner turn right and spy through the window. A small part of her wanted to see him, to see that bleached blonde hair, the black jeans, the opened shirt, the cigarette that either hung from the back of his ear, or in a packet rolled in his sleeve or hanging from his mouth. The cold blue eyes, the smug smirk on his face, did he still constantly chew on a toothpick? Did he still walk around standing tall with his chest puffed as if he were gods gift? Did he still manage to make every hair on her body stand up? Maybe that small part wasn't so small.


	6. The House She Never Called Home (Part 2)

**Author's Note: **Hey! I've finally updated! So sorry for the delay, life has been hectic! So I'm hoping to update this once a week/two weeks also the spin-off too. Thank you to **ItsMeeeDenise, Guest, Guest, CastleRockGirl, Guest **and **Purple Myst **for your reviews they really do make me smile. :D

Also because it has been so long since I updated (sorry!) I would suggest re-reading part 1 of this chapter again just so it all ties in.

Enjoy!

Warning: This chapter features drug use/bad language/drinking.

* * *

***Around 3pm**** \- The Desjardins' backyard***

"So," Cassie breathed, "What's it like in Idaho, Rebecca?"

The three old friends - Cassie, Rebecca and Tess - each sat in a patio chair in the cool March air. Cassie - who had always been the one who broke the tension - tried her best at making this less awkward then it had to be, she was failing miserably. Tess sat wooden in her chair wine glass in hand, she was a good three-quarters finished and ready to open another, making her one-bottle a week rule invalid if there was a day to break it then today was that day. Rebecca stared straight ahead giving as little eye contact as possible, and she cursed under her breath maybe it wasn't such a great idea coming here. It had been eight years she barely knew the two anymore and by the looks of it so much had changed. Cassie and Tess were both now married and had two kids each, both living the family life with their husbands still in the same place. And Rebecca? She hadn't stayed in the same place for a long time.

"It's nice," She lied, truth was that she hadn't been in Idaho since 1966. She squirmed in her chair trying to think up and excuse that she could use to get herself and Adam out of there. Thinking of Adam she glanced his way and watched him as he played with Tess' son Brian.

"Bet it's a whole lot nicer than here," Tess chipped in, "Nothing stays nice in Castle Rock!" Rebecca gave Cassie a glance and they both nodded their heads in agreement. Tess shot up from her chair and declared to them both that she was in need of a full bottle of wine. "Any takers?"

Rebecca looked back at Adam, who looked like he was having great fun, and shrugged. "Why not?"

"Not me! I'm done," Cassie told her.

"More for us then," Tess' voice called out from the kitchen.

"Live a little, Saunders." Rebecca laughed, just like it were the old days. She took out a cigarette and lit it, she exhaled the smoke coolly. Halfway through her smoke she watched as Tess returned with two bottles of red wine and an extra glass, she tried to give the glass to Rebecca who refused, "I drink from the bottle!"

"What, you lose your class when you left Castle Rock?" Cassie joked.

"When did I ever have class?" She answered as she stabbed the cork with a corkscrew and twisted it, the cork popped out and she took a long hard swig.

"Mom, can me and Adam go to the football field?" Brian ran over to his mother and pleaded. "We won't be long."

Tess looked over at Rebecca to see if she agreed and was given a 'why not?' shrug. "Alright! But you stay out of the Foleys' mailbox this time," She warned him and then watched them both shoot off like lightning. "So the girls are at a friends and now the boys are gone! I say let's make this a party,"

"What do you mean?" Cassie stared.

"I know where Vince hides his secret stash,"

"Stash?" Rebecca questioned.

"Grass!" Tess whispered as she leaned in towards her. "Don't tell me you've never smoked pot before?"

"'Course I have!" Rebecca shot back as she stubbed out her cigarette.

"What if we get caught?" Cassie asked.

Tess snorted, "What are the fuzz gonna be doing in my backyard?" she got up from her seat again and disappeared into the house.

"She always like this?" Rebecca turned her attention to Cassie.

"Pretty much! Vince is never home so I guess she has to do something to take her mind off it," Cassie told her giving Rebecca the feeling that there was much more to Tess then she let on. "God know's what she does when she's alone...or who!" Cassie quickly turned her attention away as Tess made her way over to the two, three rolled up joints in her hands.

"Pre-rolled, courtesy of Vince!" She smirked handing them one each.

Rebecca sniffed at the toke and was taken aback by the strength of it.

"Vince always gets the strong grass," Tess watched her, "Pity he doesn't know where to stash it."

The three women were about to light up when Adam and Brian returned, both were out of breath and scared.

"What's the matter?" Tess frowned at her son. "You went to the Foleys' mailbox again, didn't you?"

"No!" The two boys both cried out.

"Then what is it?" Rebecca asked. She gave her son a quick stare from head to toe. "Why do you look so scared?"

"It's nothing! I'm not scared!" He lied.

"Where's your football?" Tess grabbed hold of Brian's arm as she interrogated him

"I lost it!" He shrugged.

Tess sighed, "Get in the house! Take Adam to your room and play."

"But, Mom!" Brian whined and Rebecca finally noticed how much he looked like his father. "We wanna play outside!"

"I said go to your room. Now, do it! I don't wanna hear another word from you!" They all watched as Brian listened and the boys ran into the house.

"Finally! I thought they'd never leave!" Tess stated whilst she took out her lighter and lit the toke.

Rebecca took three drags and the rest of the day became a blur...

***11pm - Merrill household***

Jack had been at Ace's for at least eight hours and he still hadn't told Ace about Rebecca. He had gotten close but the words never made it out of his mouth, he had hoped that the amount of liquor he had drunk would help but it had been no use! So not only had he found himself still in the same situation but he had made it worse - a lot worse. He couldn't stand let alone speak without slurring.

"Didn't you have to be at your folks?" Ace finally asked him. Ace had sprawled himself out on his couch his feet rested on the table in front of him. the two had been watching the television for the past five hours.

"Yeah," Jack hiccuped. "Seven hours ago. Ma's probably waiting by the phone."

"Yeah, right!" Ace snorted, and poured himself another round of whiskey. "The old lady's probably having a sweat party right now!"

"Eww! What the fuck, man?" Jack hiccuped again, and snatched the bottle of whiskey out of Ace's hand and helped himself.

"Watch it!" Ace spat. "As I was saying I bet you five bucks your old man and the lady are at it right now with the neighbors."

"What's your bag, man?" Jack groaned as he tried to stop himself picturing his parents in an uncomfortable position.

"I ain't got no problem," Ace chuckled, he chugged down a good bit of whiskey. "You're the one with the problem."

"What you saying?"

"When was the last time you got some skirt, Mudge?"

Jack shrugged, "It's been a dry year. Besides all the skirt I come across are all show and no go,"

"Get used to it around here. You wanna get laid, get yourself out of this town." Ace told him, he slammed his glass on the table and he put his arms over his head and stretched his fingers, "That's what I'm doing."

Jack shuddered at the sound of Ace's fingers clicking into place. "You saying you're leaving the Rock?" He stammered.

"Been thinking about it for some time," Ace stared at the television. "There ain't nothin' for me here."

"But what about Ace's? What about all us Cobras? You can't leave, man."

"Ever think there's more to life than drinking with your buddies all afternoon, Mudge."

"Yeah, but it's fun."

"Ain't been fun for me, not in a long time." Ace took out a carton of cigarettes from his pocket took out one and then threw the carton at Jack. "Thinking of selling up."

"Shit!" Jack exhaled, he placed his left hand on his forehead and rubbed it. "Where you gonna go?"

"Wherever the fuck I want." He smirked, "Now pass me the bottle of Jack, I ain't got all night," he snatched the bottle back and poured. "Now how 'bout we drink to me getting out of here and you getting laid!"

"Hell, I'll drink to anything getting me laid!"

Jack downed all the hard liquor and the rest of the night turned into a blur...

***9 hours later - 8am***

"What the fuck!" She whimpered. She could have slapped herself for being so stupid and she wondered what in the hell had she done to find herself standing naked in Ace Merrill's bedroom, she crept round the edge of the bed, she breathed a slight sigh of relief when she found her underwear at the foot of the bed, she had put on her bra with ease but was in the midst of pulling up her panties when she stubbed her toe on the corner of the bed she yelled out in instinct as the pain shot up her foot, and she squinted when the light from the small gap from the curtains blinded her eyes.

"Rebecca?" Jack Mudgett groaned he had recognized her instantly, his eyes squinted as he woke up and that was when he really realized who was standing in the room with him. "Jesus! Fuck! What?" It had been his turn to yell. "What are you doing?" He shot up from the bed.

Rebecca pulled up her pants and stared at him in shock. "I...I..I dunno!" She stuttered as she turned a shade of red.

"Uh..uh.." Jack stuttered too. They both had no clue what was going on and how they had found themselves in bed together.

"What are you doing in Ace's room?"

"Me? What the fuck are you doing in Ace's house?" Jack almost had yelled, but he stopped himself, he had no clue if Ace was in the house or not. "Does he know you're here?" If Ace found out he knew she was back and hadn't told him he was dead, and he was even more dead if Ace came in and found them both half-naked in his old room.

"I don't think so! I have no idea what I'm doing here!" She grabbed her jeans that had been thrown at the door. "Where did you find me? Why did you bring me back here? What did you do to me? Why did undress me?"

"What?" Jack shuddered at the thought of even touching Rebecca let alone in a sexual way. "I didn't do nothin' to ya! You must have crawled through the window or somethin' and then into the bed, why the hell are you here?"

"I'm just as clueless as you are!" She spat back, "Last thing I remember is being with Cassie and Tess and drinking a bottle of wine,"

"So, what you got drunk and wanted to come back here for old times' sake?" He glared at her. The two of them froze as the bedroom door shook as Ace tried to open it, but failed due to it being locked.

"What the fuck you doing in there, Mudge?" Ace voiced came from behind the door. Rebecca watched as the hairs on her arms shot up, he still sounded the same. "What's with the noises? You jerking your gherkin?" Jack turned a shade of red.

"I ain't doing nothin', asshole."

"Whatever! Just make sure you clean it up," Ace chuckled. "And clean up the puke you left outside my bedroom door, before I shove your nose in it, all I could hear last night was you retching like a cat."

"I didn't puk-" Jack had almost finished before he shot Rebecca a glare, she stood guilt ridden, a flashback of her crawling up a set of stairs and then puking up a storm hit her.

"You know, I have shits cleaner than you!" He stated. "I'm headin' out, so you better be gone before I get back, and don't be thinking about touching that 40 year old bottle of scotch in my cupboard, because you'll be cleaning up more than just that vomit if you do."

"Alright, alright!" Jack answered and he stared at Rebecca, the two held their breath as they listened to Ace walk down the stairs and then the sound of the front door closing shook the house.

"Shit! That was too close!" Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "What are you doing here, Rebecca? And I don't mean what are you doing here in Ace's old room, I mean what are you doing back in Castle Rock?" He glared at her as he picked up the shirt he had on the night before and began to put it on.

"It's not your business, Jack!"

"Ace is a friend, so I think it is."

"It's a good thing I didn't come back here to see Ace then, isn't it?"

"Well you're in his house, so I think you are!" Jack pointed out and he was met with another cold glare. "Last thing Ace needs is to see you. So I suggest you get the hell out of Castle Rock before I make ya!"

"I ain't scared of you, Jack. Never have been, never will be." She crossed her arms. "Not like it's your buisness, but I'll be gone in a few days anyway."

"That's grand!"

"Now if you'll just move out of the way I'll be out of the front door," She tried to push him away but he grabbed her arm.

"You're not going anywhere before cleaning up that vomit! And after you finished you can go out the backyard so nobody sees ya!" He let go of her arm.

"You stupid, or something? Ace's dad is always out there!"

"Junior's dead."

"What?" Rebecca stopped in her tracks. "When?"

"Couple of years ago," He shrugged, "Asshole had been laying on the lawn for three days before anyone realized he was dead, they all figured he was just passed out drunk. Ace was the only one to check his pulse,"

"Oh,"

"Yeah, fucked up, huh?" He spat, he called out to her when he saw that she had started making her way down the stairs, "Hey, what do you think you're doing? Get back here and clean up this shit!" The front door slammed shut again. "Bitch!" He yelled in disgust as he looked at the vomit on the floor.

* * *

Hope you liked this chapter and maybe review? So Ace nearly ran over his son, why does that not surprise me!  
Next chapter features Rebecca and her family finally reunite after all these years and you may find out why she's back, Ace meets a special someone while fixing his car.


	7. Something I Need

_**Author's Note: **_Hey! Update time! Yay! Apologies for the delay, I would've updated at the start of the week but something happened with my computer and I lost 2000 words to this chapter - that's half the chapter! I could have cried, it was gut wrenching! It took me a day to get over it and start all over again. Any-whoooo shout-out to my two lovely reviewers **ItsMeDenise **&amp; **Guest** thank you both so much I really appreciate it :D and thank you to the new story favs.

Anyway, I'm sorry for the delay. I promise I have been around. I've started rewriting the whole series from the beginning, I've got a long way to go still *cries* but anyway I'm gonna be taking turns in updating this and book of love and at the same time rewriting Nonofficial Love, etc...I also made new story covers for the series let me know if you prefer the new or the old. The pic of Kiefer in this one is from A Time To Kill I kind of picture older Ace to look like him (of course he looks like him...it's Kiefer, but you know what I mean...hopefully) but with blonde hair.

Warning: This chapter mentions a serious subject of rape, it doesn't feature but it is mentioned, so if you want to skip the part you can do not read the flashback part of the story. Chapter also features strong swear words.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. I think it's my favourite so far and it's a long one (well for me) 4011 words to be precise, the 11 words bug me though haha but that's just 'cause I'm weird...

Enjoy!

* * *

_***Pop's Tyres***_

"I'm starved!" Pop Merrill took his feet off his desk and sighed. "I'm gonna grab a burger, what do you want, kid?" He stood up and slipped out of his grease ridden overalls and then stepped over them.

Ace looked up from the engine of a busted Chevrolet and scoffed, "Pop, I ain't been a kid since nineteen-fucking-fifty."

"Yeah, well, when you get to my age...you're a kid!" Pop remarked and he slapped his nephew on the back as he walked passed him to fetch his denim jacket off the wall. "So do you want anything or not? I ain't waiting all day."

"Get me a plain burger, no lettuce, no ketchup - I hate that shit."

"You're really pushing the boat out, ain't ya!" Pop chuckled with raised eyebrows and slipped his jacket on.

"One of us has to watch what we eat, asshole," Ace said. His eyes lowered to Pop's bulging gut and he remarked, "The way you fucking eat fast food joints out of business...I'll be surprised if you pass sixty."

"Shit, kid, you're starting to sound like Lena," Pop sighed and he fixed the scruff of his jacket. "I get enough grief from that woman, so I don't need you sticking your big nose in my waistband."

Ace didn't respond. He stepped back from the car and slammed the hood down. "If you wanna get this Chevy fixed you're gonna have to tow it to Fairview. That's if I don't scrap it before you get back," he sighed with frustration. "Fucking piece of shit!" He kicked the bumper hard with his boot and the grill fell off. He had been working on the car for over three hours and still had gotten nowhere.

"Calm down, boy. I'm starting to see why Lena is worried about ya," Pop exhaled.

"What's Darlene pissing about now?"

"Ah, the usual women shit! Thinks you should settle down, before it's too late," Pop paused, "I keep telling her, 'Lena, the only thing that boy will settle down with is a bottle of whiskey and a deck of cards. That's just the way us Merrills are.'," he chuckled. "She still doesn't get it."

"Bitch is probably still waiting for you to give her a ring. What's it been? Fifteen years?" Ace scoffed and he sat himself on top of Pop's desk. "Broad needs a medal for putting up with you for all these years."

"Twenty years! And watch your mouth," Pop replied, he crossed his arms and let out a deep sigh. "And she can wait another twenty. 'Cause after the messed up shit that Junior - God rest his soul - and Val called a marriage, I ain't making the same mistake!"

"Lena ain't nothing like Val, Pop," Ace paused and he leaned back slightly and carried on, "she's loyal."

"Kid, are you saying I should marry the old gal?" Pop raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Shit! I think I'm gonna pass out."

"Piss off, ol' timer. Maybe you should marry 'er!" Ace shrugged. "Finding a girl that loyal, is like looking for a hymen in a whorehouse...damn near impossible. I've had plenty of women and I've not once found a loyal one."

Although he once thought he had.

"You spend a lot of time in whorehouses?" Pop chuckled.

"The way I get laid," Ace smirked. "Broads should be paying me."

* * *

***Motel***

"All right, I'm heading out. You stay here!" Rebecca told Adam whilst she checked out her reflection in the mirror in the bathroom of the motel. Her hair was wet from when she had washed it in the sink but she still looked a mess. Her head felt like it was splitting open and someone was hammering at it, the result of yesterdays drinking, she hadn't drunk that much in a long time and it had caught up with her. "Don't be leaving this room, you hear me?"

"I'll be bored, Rebecca," he replied with a frown as he looked up at the grey ceiling. He had been in bad form ever since Rebecca had dragged him out of the Bracowicz house with no explanation and forced him to walk back to the motel.

"You've got the television. I don't want you leaving this room. You'll get lost walking around town." She gave him a stern look as she grabbed her purse from the table. "I'll be a couple of hours. Stay here!"

"Okay!" he lied. He had no plans to stay in this crummy motel room, especially when there were places that needed exploring and adventures to be had. Rebecca kissed him on the forehead before leaving. Once he knew she was well out of sight he jumped off the bed and grabbed his shoes.

Rebecca's heart pounded at her chest as she took the key to her mustang out of her purse, but there was one small problem, she had forgotten where she had parked the car. "Shit!" she groaned. But now wasn't the time to retrace her steps; her head hurt too much and she had plans. The only thing she could do was walk and maybe the fresh air would help freshen her head up. She decided she would look for the car later.

It took her twenty minutes to walk to the house she had called home for twenty-one years. Despite a fresh lick of paint over the years it hadn't changed. She exhaled and flicked her cigarette to the ground and stubbed it out with her shoe. She walked up the path and then stepped up the porch and rapped on the door. It seemed like a lifetime before the screen door opened.

"Yeah?" A teenage girl's head peaked around the door. And for a moment Rebecca thought she had transported back to the early fifties and was now looking at herself. It took her ten seconds to realize she was staring at her little sister Debbie. Debbie looked at her strangely, she had no clue who she was, it had been seven years and Debbie wouldn't have even started kindergarten when Rebecca had left town, they were both strangers.

Rebecca stammered slightly before speaking, "Uh, is your daddy home?"

Debbie frowned at her before letting out a sigh she turned her back on her, and Rebecca noticed the same thick brown curly hair that all the Chambers' girls had. "Pa, there's a strange woman at the door here to see ya." Debbie yelled out she turned to face Rebecca again and gave her a false sweet smile. Rebecca couldn't help but think that if she had stayed she would've taught the little brat a lesson or two in manners.

Rebecca heard footsteps coming out from the kitchen and she cleared her throat.

"Who is it, Deb?" Frank's raspy voice filled the air. Rebecca stepped back as the screen door fully opened and she was face to face with her father. He recognized her instantly and his mouth formed an O and he scratched at the full head of hair. "What do you want?"

Rebecca wasn't shocked at the hostility he gave her, it was what she deserved after all these years.

"I need your help, daddy."

Debbie, who still stood behind the open door, cried, "Daddy?"

"Shut your wailing, Deb. Go upstairs and phone your brother from the hall." Frank motioned to the stairs with a flick of his head. Before Debbie could protest he added, "Go. Now. Phone Frankie and tell him to get his ass down here right now," He spoke with the same tone and manner he had always spoken to Rebecca. Debbie didn't have to be told again and she let out a sigh with attitude as she ran up the stairs. Frank turned back to Rebecca and muttered at her to come on in.

She followed him into the living room. "Frankie's out of jail?"

* * *

_Flashback - Christmas Eve 1956_

_Rebecca sat on the floor by the fireplace, she prodded the open fire with the fire poker and watched as some ash flew up the chimney, she then pushed her two year old brother Emery to the ground when he tried to run into the fire. She looked over at her mother, Judy, who was in a peaceful sleep, both of her arms were wrapped around a child each; 9 year old Chris and 6 year old Sheldon, both were sleeping tucked up and warm besides their mother. Rebecca's father, Frank, was currently sitting in his armchair listening to the radio, a bottle of beer in his left hand and a cigarette in his right, a pack of Winston's cigarettes sat on the arm rest next to an ashtray._

_Frank looked up at the clock on the fireplace and sighed with annoyance, "I tell you that boy better not interrupt the nine o'clock newscast. Where is he? Your mother has been slaving away in that kitchen all day-"_

_"I helped, mom!" Rebecca cried out in annoyance._

_"Shut it, where's your manners? Don't interrupt me!" He shot Rebecca a warning. "Now, where is Frankie? Is it too much for your mother to ask for a nice family supper on Christmas Eve for Christ's sake." _

_"I don't know where he is, daddy." Rebecca shrugged, as she placed Emery on her knees and started brushing his sandy blonde hair. As her mother and two of her brothers slept, she sat in silence with her father as he listened to nine o'clock news. _

_There was a knock on the door._

_"Goddammit!" Frank spat as he stubbed out the remains of his cigarette into the ashtray and stood up from his chair. "He's three hours late and now he has manners? I oughta beat Frankie black and blue for knocking! Can't a man listen to the news!" He walked out of the living room._

_Rebecca looked up from the floor. "I don't think that's Frankie, daddy." She noticed the blue flashing lights coming from outside in the cracks of the curtains and got up off the floor and walked over to the window and pushed the curtain to the side. Emery, who was sitting on his sisters hip, squealed in awe as he looked at the blue lights that come from the top of a police car._

_"Is Franklin Chambers around?" She heard a voice ask her father from the front door. She placed Emery down on the floor and walked out of the living room. _

_"You're looking at him," Frank spat. Rebecca now stood behind her father she stared at the cop with a frown._

_"Junior," the cop smirked a nasty smile. "Not senior."_

_"Talk to me with respect when you're in my house, pig."_

_"Watch what you say, Frank." The cop crossed his arms. "'Cause I don't think the towns folk will mind if I arrest two Chambers' tonight," he smiled smugly before he continued, "But, I ain't gonna give my boss the extra paperwork, not on Christmas."_

_"What'cha arresting Frankie for?" Rebecca cried out. The words slipped out her mouth before she could stop herself._

_"Shut it!" Her father turned to her. He then sighed at the cop, "You got a warrant for the arrest? What's he done this time, huh?"_

_"I don't need a warrant," the cop stepped further into the hall and peaked his head round the living room door and then looked straight into the kitchen. "If I did, who'd they believe, anyway?"_

_Rebecca's blood ran cold, whatever Frankie had did, it had to have been real bad. _

_Her father watched as the cop stepped into the kitchen and looked around, he then turned to Rebecca and grabbed her arm tightly. "Go upstairs and see if your brother's hiding in his old room." She knew what her father wanted her to do just by the look in his eyes. If she was to find Frankie, she wasn't to tell a living soul, she had to help him hide. "I'll wake up your mother." He let go of his grip and walked into the living room, she heard him mutter, "This is gonna damn near kill her."_

_Rebecca looked into the kitchen, the cop had now gone down to the basement, before she made her way upstairs. Her body shook in fear with each step. Was Frankie hiding up there? If so was he hurt? Was he covered in someone else's blood? _

_She opened the door to his old room, that now belonged to all three of her younger brothers, but it was empty with no sign of Frankie anywhere. She heard a loud thud come from the master bedroom and she jumped in fright._

_There were two reasons he could be in there, one was underneath the floor boards, bundled and ready to be used in an emergency, and the other was sitting loaded in her father's dresser. She hoped to God it wasn't the latter. She turned the handle and the door clicked open, her eyes first went to the dresser, it looked untouched, and then her eyes darted to the floor, the floorboard had been cranked open and inside was empty, the money was all gone._

_"Shh!" A voice echoed from behind her and she turned around. _

_"What have you done, Frankie?" She gulped as her brother stepped towards her. She noticed his shirt was torn and he had scratch marks on his arms. "What happened to your shirt?"_

_"Rebecca, you gotta help me get outta here. Is the copper in the kitchen or in the living room?" He grabbed her urgently and shook her so hard tears formed in her eyes._

_"What did you do, Frank?" _

_"I didn't do nothin', I swear to God! I didn't do anything. Not that anyone's gonna believe me, so you gotta help me get outta here." The two locked eyes and she didn't know what to believe. "Goddammit, Rebecca, just tell me where the pig is!"_

_"Living room. He's in the living room!"_

_He let go of her and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Good! That means I can get out the window and jump the fences." He urgently grabbed the bag he had thrown on the bed and ran to the window and slid it open. "I didn't do anything that she didn't want me to do." He climbed out of the window and onto the roof of the porch, she rushed to the window and watched as he jumped from the porch roof to the ground, he was then tackled to the ground by a cop._

_She ran out of the room and rushed down the stairs, her mother was in the living room crying in hysterics and her father was yelling at the cop in the kitchen when another cop burst through the back door with Frankie in his arms. _

_Rebecca sat on the bottom of the stairs but she could still hear every word._

_"What's going on, Rebecca?" Christopher asked as he stood in front of her, he held onto Sheldon's shoulders, the two of them looked scared and confused._

_"Shut up, I can't hear!" Rebecca spat. She grabbed Chris by the collar of his nightshirt and pulled him down next to her, Sheldon followed and sat next to him._

_"Shit! There's cops all over the house. You ain't got no fucking right," Frank Snr roared before turning to Frank Jnr. "Frankie, what have you done this time, boy?"_

_"Nothin', Pa." Frankie tried yanking his hands out of the cops hands and felt a blow to the head. "They got the wrong guy."_

_"Boy, you better watch what you're saying, when I take your ass to the station," the cop warned. "They don't do kindly to rapists in jail, son."_

_"Frankie, tell me it's not true." Rebecca hadn't noticed her mother had walked into the kitchen until she heard her voice. _

_The three of them watched as the two cops pulled Frank out of the kitchen, Judy, who held Emery, and Frank Snr followed from behind. _

_"Where are they taking Frankie?" Sheldon, who was too young to understand any of it, asked._

_"He's going to jail." Chris answered as he watched Frankie get dragged down the footpath towards the police car and then shoved in the back of the car._

_"Stop it, Chris." Rebecca glared, she took Emery from her mother's arms._

_Rebecca now stood next to her mother and she noticed that most of the neighborhood were either standing on their porch or staring out of the curtains watching. She then watched the police car pull out and drive off with Franklin Jnr inside. Franklin Snr was causing up a stir in the front garden as he picked up a child's bicycle and hurled it across the lawn and it smashed into two. Rebecca wasn't sure if it had belonged to Chris or Sheldon. __Her two youngest brothers burst out into tears at the sudden outburst, Chris stayed silent watching his father's every move. He wanted to cry as soon as he saw the remains of his once treasured bike, but he wouldn't show his father any emotion. _

_The Chambers' Christmas was well and truly ruined. _

_Rebecca couldn't cry, not in front of her mother, she wouldn't. __She didn't know what was to happen next. All she knew was that there was only one person in the whole of town that she wanted to see..._

_Flashback...To be continued..._

* * *

***Pop's Tyres***

Twenty minutes later and Pop still hadn't returned with the food. Ace was currently out the front tinkering with the engine of his car. The car was in perfect condition, but there was nothing else to do and he wasn't going to sweep the floor like Pop had asked, he didn't work for Pop anymore, he worked for himself.

"What are you doing?" A voice asked him from behind.

"What the fuck does it look like I'm doing?" Ace spat, he was in no mood to be dealing with any of Pop's customers. He turned his head round to see the stranger and was met with a boy. He lowered his eyebrows at the boy and then spat out his toothpick. "What do you want, kid?"

Ace was oblivious to the fact that he and the boy shared the same blood.

Adam shrugged a reply before peaking at Ace's Chevrolet. "Is that your car? I got the same one." He reached in his back pocket of his dirty jeans and pulled out a tiny toy replica of the Chevy. "See?" he smiled.

Ace paused, he looked down at the boy, dumbstruck by what was happening he couldn't think. He then snapped out of it quickly and spat, "Get outta here. This ain't no daycare."

"I'm bored!" Adam stated.

"Go find someone else to bug, you little shit. Didn't your parents ever teach you about talking to strangers?" Ace eyeballed the kid up and down. "Now, get outta here."

"You can't tell me what to do." Adam crossed his arms. "This is a free country, you don't own the ground." He kicked at the ground with his keds.

"I own a shotgun. So beat it-"

"What in the heck?" Pop interrupted, he stood next to Ace, a paper bag to his chest and a cigarette between his mouth. Ace had no idea where he had come from. "You threatening little kids with shotguns?" Pop asked his nephew as he stared at the kid.

"The little shit's poking his nose around the joint,"Ace sighed as he took the cigarette from behind his ear and lit it. "Get_ it_ outta here before I tar _it_."

Pop couldn't keep a straight face as he asked Adam, "You looking for something to do, kid?" He chuckled and watched Adam nod his head. "Make yourself useful and grab that broom over there." He watched Adam rush to the broom in the corner. "Start sweeping, boy." He smirked as he watched the boy start sweeping the floor.

Ace looked at his uncle in disgust. "You going fucking senile, old man? What you doing?"

"I'm getting this floor swept, asshole." Pop sat himself down behind his desk and began to tear the paper bag open he brought out his freshly made burger and began to tuck in. "I seem to remember two little shits who used to bug me when I was around your age," he said with a mouth full of food, he then gulped it down and carried on, "You and your brother."

"Piss off, we're family. You keep letting little kids in here, this place is gonna turn into a fucking kindergarten." Ace grabbed an empty stool and sat himself in front of the desk.

"Ahh, shut up and eat your burger." Pop shoved Ace's burger to him.

Ace flicked his cigarette on the floor for the boy to sweep up. "You're full of fucking surprises, you know that?" He scoffed at Pop and began unwrapping his burger. He took a bite and then spat it out. "Can they ever do anything right in this fucking shit-hole?" He peeled the top of the bun off and noticed the sauce. "You ask for no fucking ketchup, there's always fucking ketchup. I ain't eating this shit." He tossed the burger onto it's old wrapping. "Shove it in the bin."

Pop chuckled. "That's a waste of a damn good burger."

"Well, eat it then. I don't fucking care." He reached into his jacket pocket and took two cigarettes out, he placed one behind his ear and lit the other. "I've lost my appetite," he exhaled.

"Shit, you're in a foul mood today, kid." Pop leaned back in his seat as he took the last bite of his burger. "What the hell is up, wit' ya?

"It's nothin' I wanna talk about," Ace replied, he took a deep drag from his cigarette and then let the smoke fill the room. He felt something hit his shoes and he looked down. "Watch what you're doing, punk." He shot Adam, who had just hit his shoe with the broom, a stern look.

Pop noticed Adam's eyes linger hungrily at the food on the table. "You hungry, boy? Take this burger." He pushed Ace's burger towards him and Adam snatched it up.

"You are turning senile! My ol' man oughta be turning in his grave," Ace sighed and he crossed his arms.

"The kid looks like he ain't ate in a week," Pop answered with a shrug. "I'm not like you or Junior... I got a heart."

Ace scoffed and looked at the ground, he shook his head.

"Yuck!" Adam spat. "Blood sauce!" He spat out the bite of burger he had in his mouth and dropped the burger in his hands on the floor.

"Hey!" Pop yelled.

"You little ungrateful shit," Ace spat and shot up from the stool. "Pick that up and then get the hell outta here. I oughta beat the tar outta ya."

The two men watched as Adam pushed the broom on the floor and ran off, the burger laid half eaten on the floor. Pop chuckled in disbelief - the kid reminded him of someone, but he couldn't quite put his finger on who.

"Feels good to have a heart now, doesn't it?" Ace scoffed as he placed his feet on the desk and leaned back smugly.

* * *

Dun dun duh! Ace came face to face with his son and he had no idea, ahhhhh! I'm evil! I hope you enjoyed the chapter I had real fun writing it. I think my favourite part was Rebecca's flashback and I'm looking forward to writing more of it. This story is gonna feature Rebecca's family more and Who wrote the book of love? Is gonna feature more of Ace's dad and Uncle Pop.

Please tell me what you think in a review. Love it? Loathe it?

Next chapter features the continuing of Rebecca's flashback and something exciting may or may not happen at the end...


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